Cosmopolitan (cocktail)
A disputed-origin cocktail popularized in the 1990s.
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The Cosmopolitan is a pink cocktail served in a Martini glass that became a modern classic.[1] Its cultural reach was unlike any other drink created during the 20th century.[1]
Last updated 2026-09-29 from the source article.
Key facts and history
Cook's original recipes called for Absolut Citron, a splash of Triple sec, a drop of Rose's lime and just enough cranberry to make it pretty in pink.[2] It was later frequently mentioned on the television program Sex and the City.[3] The cocktail's beginnings are a matter of debate; according to some accounts, its origins can be linked to the gay community in Provincetown, Massachusetts, during the 1970s.[4] According to bartender Gaz Regan, the version of the cosmopolitan that became internationally known was invented by Toby Cecchini and Melissa Huffsmith-Roth in 1989 at The Odeon, a Manhattan restaurant.[5]
The cosmopolitan's rise in popularity during the 1990s was partly fueled by Madonna, who was observed drinking one in 1996.[6]
What the cited sources add
The KRISHNA article states the Cosmopolitan was born at the cusp of the Gay Rights movement and before the cocktail renaissance.[1] John Caine, a San Francisco bartender, says the drink predates World War II and was initially called the Vodka Gimlet.[1] Toby Cecchini describes the earlier version as rail vodka, Rose's lime juice, Rose's grenadine served in a Martini glass.[1] The International Bartenders Association's official recipe calls for 40 ml of vodka citron, 15 ml of Cointreau, 15 ml of fresh lime juice, and 30 ml of cranberry juice.[7]
References
- KRISHNA, "The Definitive History of the Cosmopolitan: Quibbling over who invented it is only half the tale. Here's how the pink drink went from a Cleveland gay bar to Madonna's call drink to SATC, according to the people. facts only, no text reused. punchdrink.com
- Wikipedia, "Cosmopolitan (cocktail)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Regan, "The Birth of the Cosmopolitan: A Tale of Two Bartenders", Ardent Spirits e-letter. Vol. 7, Issue 6, October 2006 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Cosmopolitan (cocktail)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Best Locally Created Cocktail", Best of the Twin Cities 2006 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Cosmopolitan (cocktail)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: KRISHNA, "The Definitive History of the Cosmopolitan: Quibbling over who invented it is only half the tale. Here's how the pink drink went from a Cleveland gay bar to Madonna's call drink to SATC, according to the people; Harrington, "Cocktail: The Drinks for the 21st Century", Viking (Penguin Putnam Inc.), 1998, p. 76 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Cosmopolitan (cocktail)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Regan, "The Birth of the Cosmopolitan: A Tale of Two Bartenders", Ardent Spirits e-letter. Vol. 7, Issue 6, October 2006; Charming, "The Bartender's Ultimate Guide to Cocktails: A Guide to Cocktail History, Culture, Trivia and Favorite Drinks", Mango Media, 2022, p. 124; Simonson, "COSMOS! How the Inventor of the Cosmopolitan Learned to Embrace His Most Famous Creation", Grub Street, Sep 19, 2016; KRISHNA, "The Definitive History of the Cosmopolitan: Quibbling over who invented it is only half the tale. Here's how the pink drink en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Cosmopolitan (cocktail)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Cosmopolitan", University of Málaga, 2009; Sandham, "World's Best Cocktails", Fair Winds Press, 2012, p. 116; Chirico, "Field Guide to Cocktails", Quirk Books, 2015, p. 93 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Official Cocktail recipe: Cosmopolitan", International Bartenders Association. facts only, no text reused. iba-world.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Cosmopolitan (cocktail) (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Cosmopolitan (cocktail) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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